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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Hello!
Since today is the 4th Tuesday of the month, it's time for a new inspiration challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog. Here's what I created for my DT project.

This is actually a mini easel card--this is the card front...

which I've mounted on top of a box--decorating it into a gift box. In keeping with the brown theme, I was going to fill with with chocolate hearts, but I couldn't find any at this time of year--may have to wait until Valentine's Day...LOL.

This project was inspired by this picture that Katie--she's our hostess for the month of June--has chosen for the inspiration challenge.

When I look at this picture, I see a lot of browns, white, feathers, window. It took me a while..LOL..to figure out that this is a bride in her wedding gown, so add love and romance to the mix. So I've tried to include all those things into my project.

I hope you will join us in our challenge. For more inspirations, hop over the the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog HERE and have a look at my DT teammates' fabulous cards/projects. For the prize, Diana is offering a $25 Gift Certificate for a shopping spree at her on-line store Magnolia-licious.

This is what the inside of the easel card looks like... The sentiment is computer generated. I've never decorated with feathers before, but decided to add them because they're featured in the photo. I'm not really sure if I like them or not...hmmm...

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Hello.
A bit of alliteration in the posting title there...LOL, but have to wait for Miss Muu Muu--am showing the card front first...

I've just finished this card. I've made a gate fold card--haven't created one for quite a while now.

On the card front, I've featured the adorable Tilda With Magnolia Branch. I've coloured her and the other images for this card with my Letraset Promarkers and Tria markers.

The windows were made using the PoppyStamps Small Madison Window die. For the ornamental design above the windows, I used a Spellbinder Fancy Tag Three die which I cut in half.

LOL, I've been surfing the internet looking for pictures of cows to get an idea of how to colour the image. I like the look of a heifer cow so that's how I've coloured Little Miss Muu Muu.

The background scenery is the Barbed Wire Fence image which I've stamped twice after masking the cow image first. The sentiments are computer generated.

The stamps for all the images I've used are from Magnolia's Summer Memories Collection 2012. They are all available from Magnolia-licious on-line store. Diana is also giving a 12% discount and you will also be earning a 2% Store Credit to be applied on future purchases. How cool is that!
Beside the window die I used here and other PoppyStamps dies, she also carries Memory Box and Magnolia Doohickey cutting dies. Check them out!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Happy Tuesday! It's the 2nd one in June, so... it's time for the new monthly colour challenge at the Magnolia-licious Challenge Blog. Here's what I came up with for my DT card...

Katie is our hostess for this month. The colours that she has chosen for the challenge are: pink, orange, green and white.

I hope you will play along with us in our colour challenge. There is $25 Gift Certificate from Magnolia-licious for a random prize. My DT teammates have created fabulous cards to further inspire you--have a look at the challenge blog HERE.

I am featuring this adorable Rose Garden Tilda from the new Summer Memories Collection 2012from Magnolia. I've done the colouring of the images for this card with my Letraset markers (list below).

Monday, June 11, 2012

Today is the 2nd Monday of the new month of June, so it's time for a new challenge at the Sweet Stamping Pixies. The theme for this month is SUMMER. Here's the card that I've created.

I went with summer colours for the theme because I don't have any summer fairies/pixies. And this beautiful fairy image that I am using is actually called Spring Bringer. She is one of Silvia Zet's creations, from a Whimsy Stamps stamp bought from All That Scraps.

I've coloured the image with my markers. I've also added some glitter to her wings.

I hope you can play along with us in our challenge. To give you more inspirations, have a look the fabulous cards that my DT teamates have created HERE--check out the prize too. And you have an entire month to join us!!!

As for me, I am using this card as my entry into the following challenges:

Saturday, June 09, 2012

Hello. Just a quick posting to show this latest card. Only the front though, as I haven't quite finished the inside yet...LOL.

The image I am using is of Tilda Playing Hopscotch. She is from Magnolia's Sweet Rainbow Collection 2011. This is only the second time I've used her on a card, but I think I will be using her more because if you alter the original image, as I did here by removing the hopscotch pattern underneath, then she is quite versatile. I can use this card for various occasions--schools out, birthday, congratulations, retirement...

I have used my Letraset Promarkers to colour the image.

*****

Edited: Annika has a fabulous video tutorial on how to colour skies. Click HERE to see.

And FYI, I don't do tutorials on colouring because I am not certified so I don't feel I am qualified to teach on how to colour. I learn by watching other people's tutorials too...LOL--I leave it to them to teach me. If you google there are tons of colouring tutorials out there already, but if you are looking for a fabulous site, check out Zoe's challenge blog Make 'it' Colourful. I saw Chris' card there and loved the way she did her grass, so I was trying to do it the same way, but I have a loooooong way to go to make mine looks like hers. More practices!!!

I have also now finished the inside of my card, woo-hoo. This is what it looks like...

Monday, June 04, 2012

Your basic swing card has a swing/centre panel that is usually either square or rectanglar. This tutorial is a for a swing card that has a shaped swing/centre panel. Please note that this is customized for a 'finished' 6-inch (15cm) square card, since that is my favorite card size. By 'finished' I mean when the card is folded up.

The shaped swing/centre panel can actually be created easily by cutting it out by hand using your kraft knife and/or scissor, but I am going to show you how to use your shape dies (eg. Spellbinders Nestabilities, Go Kreate dies, etc.) and your die-cutting machine (eg. Big Shot, Cuttlebug, etc.).

The card below (posted HERE previously) is the end result of this tutorial, so I am just going to list the steps to create this card.

Step 2
Take your designer paper and cut out your centre panel EXACTLY in centre with your die. I usually like to draw a criss cross on the paper to better centre the die. Put aside the die cut for decorating the swing panel later on.

Step 3

Apply glue to the back of your designer paper.

Step 4
Glue your designer paper in place onto your cardstock.

Step 5
Reposition your die over the previously cut hole on the designer paper and tape in place with removable tape. Make sure this is really secure so it doesn't move when you run it through your die-cutting machine.

Step 6
Line up the edge of your cutting pad with one of the pencil-drawn lines.

Step 7
Secure the back of your card to the cutting pad with removable tape.

Step 8
Take your other cutting pad, place it underneath your card. Now your card is sandwiched between the 2 cutting pads.

Step 9
Run the 'sandwich' through your die-cutting machine--the one I am using here is the Big Shot Machine. Obviously...LOL.

Please note: This is how I do my die-cutting and NOT as per instructions that comes with the machine. Their instructions are to place the die first with the die blades facing up and then paper on top of that. My way is to place the paper first and then the die on top with the die blades facing down. I find that my cutting pad stays flat this way and do not curl up.

Step 10
You will see that now you have a partially cut shape like the picture below. Only the area of the die that was under the top cutting pad is cut--the rest is left untouched.
Repeat Steps 6 - 9 with the other side/end of you card.

Step 11
Place your card upside down on your scoreboard and score at 4" (10cm).

Step 12
Turn your card right side up and score at 6" (15cm).

Step 13
Mountain fold and valley fold along the score lines.

Step 14
Take the die cut that you have put aside and glue it in place as shown below. Optional: I like to have a thin border around my die cuts, so I usually take my scissor and cut off about 1/16" all the way around the die cuts. Sorry, but yes, you have to do this by hand...sigh.

Step 15
And there you have the base of your card. Now you can finish decorating it with your coloured images, sentiments and embellishments.

This is another swing card that I have made with a shaped swing/centre panel. I have used the Spellbinders Grand Labels Eleven here.

The first swing card with a shaped swing/centre panel I made was a couple of postings ago, or HERE. For that one I used a different shaped die. This card is actually the result of a tutorial I am working on, as a couple of people have asked me to do one--I am happy to do it. The tute is on cutting the shape using your die-cutting machine--not by hand. I am still working on writing the step-by-step instructions and still have the cropping of the pictures to do. Come back if you are interested later on--most likely tomorrow...LOL.